For one couple from East Sussex, franchising really was the light at the end of the tunnel.

Having been made redundant, Barry and Rosie Pensome were looking for local opportunities and they came across some franchise models that appealed to them because of their established business model.

They spent a long time researching the industry and they decided to settle on Merry Maids. Their redundancy package helped them to make the first steps into franchising.

The couple found the initial process really supportive and they received a two week training course which helped them understand how Merry Maids was run and prepared them for taking on the franchise.

The couple have just embarked on their project, but they are hoping that they can expand over the next few years.

Having been made redundant, the couple’s story could have been very different but because of the Merry Maids opportunity, they have had a really positive experience. They are now working towards providing a quality service that will become known as the best in their area and they say that they are willing to work hard in order to achieve what they want.

They have never exactly struggled with their sales and marketing strategies, but Domino’s Pizza are set build an even stronger brand now that they have appointed a new sales and marketing director.

Simon Wallis, the new sales and marketing director, has been appointed to help with the brand growth across the UK and Ireland and Domino’s are very excited to have him joining the team.

In his previous roles as senior director of marketing UK and EMEA for Papa John’s, Simon has built up a wealth of expertise.

The marketing expert has also taken on positions at Pizza Hut and KFC in the past and the skills from his experiences there will transfer really well to this new role.

Chris Moore, the chief executive of Domino’s Pizza has said that he is very excited to welcome Simon into the team and that he expects his experiences and knowledge to be invaluable as the company continues to grow.

Simon has a challenge on his hands as he tries to beat the very high standards already set by Domino’s when it comes to marketing but he has said that he is looking forward to the challenge.

Leading greeting card publisher and franchisor, Card Connection has announced it aims to strengthen its brand image further in retail outlets across the UK by providing new point of sale display equipment free of charge to its network of franchisees.  New header cards for racks and panels , bus stop signs, caption flags, promotional strips plus spinner upgrades reflecting the new brand will ensure Card Connection’s range of more than 1,200 quality greeting cards will be displayed to ultimate effect in shops supplied by the company’s franchise network, which include the likes of  BP, Costcutter, Londis, Netto, Budgens, Spar and Haldanes.

“Our team of franchisees install greeting cards and display equipment on free loan to retailers,” explains Andrew Cutler, sales director of Card Connection.  “This creates a win-win situation where retailers only pay for what they sell.  Our franchisees regularly visit stores to merchandise the stock and ensure displays always look fresh and up to date.

“The new display equipment will ensure that our products are shown off to best effect,” confirms Cutler.  “The new header designs are striking and yet importantly take up little space and fit in with the overall convenience retail store look.  We anticipate the improved displays will encourage more sales for the benefit of our retail customers and in turn, further drive up our franchisees’ profit margins.”

Card Connection has limited UK vacancies for franchisees who are keen to run an expanding business.  Successful candidates would ideally have some management experience as, once established, they would be expected to employ a small team, operate a warehouse and have several liveried vans on the road.

Because the franchise networks in the UK and Ireland are complete, the available opportunities now consist of acquiring an already-established territory from an existing franchisee.  These vary in price according to their level of development, but start at £20,000 (+ stock) with earnings potential in excess of £50,000 per annum.

If there’s one thing that stands out about working with a franchise, it’s the sense of community and the supportive team that you will no doubt have behind you.

In a franchise, you will be more likely to be rewarded for your hard work than in other ways of working. And this was perfectly displayed by Bluebird Care franchise owner who has recently rewarded two of his workers for their dedication and hard work.

The franchise owner held a celebration and a special awards ceremony to pay tribute to two members of staff.
Paula Bates and Sam Young have been with the Bluebird Care franchise since it was launched more than three years ago and they have been two very strong members of the franchise team.

For all of their hard work, the two workers were awarded with a bouquet of flowers and staff celebrated with a buffet at the office in Cannock.

The franchise owner, John Milakovic said that they only employ exceptional workers at their franchise and that Paula and Sam had demonstrated professionalism and a caring manner during their time with the franchise. He held the awards and celebrations as a way of thanking them and recognising their hard work.

ChipsAway franchisee Clive Lawrence is celebrating 10 successful and highly satisfying years with the UK’s leading specialist in minor automotive paintwork repairs; he has signed for a further five years and says he hasn’t ruled out a further five after that!

“I simply love what I do,” he explains. “I have a great business that has given me an excellent standard of living, I have had absolutely fantastic support from ChipsAway and I can honestly say I’ve never been short of work from the moment I launched my business!”

Clive joined ChipsAway after 30 years running a graphic design & print business and, as a marketing man, was impressed by the ChipsAway proposition – a unique, proven system with high quality products, well marketed, with massive customer demand.

“The franchise is very flexible, there are lots of ways to develop and grow – and the ChipsAway team are behind you all the way!” Clive comments.

Interestingly, during the recession, Clive says he’s experienced no problems at all. In fact new business has continued to roll in at a higher rate than ever, particularly since the company launched its National TV Advertising campaign.

“I’ve been more than happy with my investment in ChipsAway,” he concludes. “I have the freedom of being my own boss and earn a great living too – long may it continue!”

There are plenty of terms you will hear thrown around when it comes to franchising and we won’t always necessarily know what they mean.

For example, when you are researching franchise opportunities, you might come across the term ‘master franchises’.

These are franchises that have been successful abroad but that have not been set up in the UK yet. You buy this master franchise and sub-franchise it.

You need to put a lot of thought into the decision if you are thinking of taking on a master franchise and you need to choose something that suits you as well as your goals and your skills. Once you have found the franchise that you want to get involved in, you need to be able to negotiate the deal so you are happy with it.

It’s always important to remember that you shouldn’t sign a contract until you have done your homework and you are happy with the deal. Get the contract properly checked to ensure that you’re falling into any traps and visit the company, paying attention to their products, systems, purchasing and marketing.

Once you are happy with everything, go ahead with the deal and start a new and exciting career with a master franchise.

In the franchising world, things can happen very fast and that’s exactly what Dane Sampson is finding since he joined the FiltaFry franchise less than a year ago.

Business is going so well that he is already thinking about expanding and is shocked at how his career has developed.

Dane was attracted to FiltaFry because of the support he would receive there and the fact that it had already established a reputation.

The business offers a mobile service for the microfiltration of cooking oils, cleaning of deep fat fryers and the supply of kitchen cleaning products.

The young franchisor has successfully managed to build up a good customer base in a relatively short amount of time and he was very pleased to find that the training he was provided with really gave him all the necessary skills and knowledge he needed.

Following on from his huge initial success, Dane is able to look into the future and see an expansion on the cards. For now, he is simply concentrating on building up relationships with his customers but it won’t be long before the franchisor starts looking to expand his business.

When you are looking into franchise opportunities, you will come across a number of practices that you may be unfamiliar with.

But one aspect that it is really important to be clear on is the franchise agreement.

This is a really important document which outlines how your franchise will work and where each responsibility lies in terms of the running of the franchise.

The point of a franchise agreement is that it should act as a contract and it should outline the terms that you have agreed to. Another reason for the franchise agreement is so that it can protect the franchisor and the franchisee. It can also document the rules that need to be observed by both parties in order to have a successfully run franchise.

It is essential that you have a franchise agreement as it can be really important; particularly should any problems arise. The franchise agreement will list the rights of both the franchisee and the franchisor which can be vital in times of dispute.

As with the rest of the franchising process, make sure you research fully into the franchise agreement and that you are happy with what is drawn up before you agree to anything.

Subway has never particularly struggled with its sales, but a new loyalty card being launched by the sandwich retailer could help them to see more of their returning customers.

The sandwich franchise has launched the Subcard and the new scheme has made it possible for customers to download a 2D barcode to their mobile phones and to collect loyalty points.

With these loyalty points, customers will be able to get free sandwiches and the new system allows them to check their balance and their transaction history.

Lucky iPhone users are also able to locate their nearest Subway store using the GPS function on the phone.

The sandwich franchise decided to launch the loyalty card because they wanted a way of rewarding their customers. And they specifically designed the system so that it would be completely hassle free. The 2D barcode function is really easy to use and allows customers to take full advantage of the reward scheme.
The Subway franchise is one that has enjoyed huge success over the years, providing customers with fresh, healthy, made to order sandwiches on a daily basis. This new loyalty scheme is set to improve their customer base even further and ensure that customers keep on coming back.

You’ve already made the huge decision to get involved in the world of franchising and now you’re faced with the tough task of deciding what kind of franchise you want to get involved with.

The key to reaching the right decision is being incredibly organised. You will find yourself writing list after list to try to narrow down your search but this is a great way to get a shortlist together.

You need to think about what your skills are and what you enjoy so that you can attempt to match this information up to the franchise opportunities out there.

Don’t restrict yourself into just looking for opportunities that are similar to the experiences you already have. The great thing about franchising is that there will be plenty of training offered to you, so you don’t need to be experienced in the field in order to be successful. So long as you have the right management skills and the ability to learn, you will be more than equipped to take on a completely new challenge.

The most important thing during this process, is knowing where your strengths lie. Then all you need to do is match them to the appropriate franchise opportunities and you will find yourself taking on your ideal role.